I promised to try and catchup on posts. It's just after 1.00pm on Thursday 16th May and I have a little story to tell.
I bought the three handmade metal fridge magnets to join my collection in a shop called 'Smile Souvenirs' in Dürnstein almost at the very summit of the main street just before the lookout over the Danube (See photo). The shop was full of interesting souvenirs just a little out of the ordinary hence the name 'Smile Souvenirs". The magnets were consigned to a yellow plastic bag with the logo shown in the photo, the significance of which I didn't realise until back on the ship and after the incident I'm about to recount.
There are many cruise operators plying the Rhine, Moselle, Main and Danube Rivers: Viking, Scenic, Uniworld, Riviera and Emerald to name but a few – including of course APT. Vying for River domination Viking is by far the largest operator with some 17 ships (according to our Cruise Director). We often found up to 5 of this fleet at almost every stop. They are rather ugly ships with far from sleek lines, a high, wide and blunt bow and painted in matt white. Sorry I don't have a photo because, as you will see, I hadn't anticipated that I would need one!! The point is that these ships catered for up to 190 guests, almost all from the USA.
This afternoon there were two such craft moored close into the town centre, Viing always got the best moorings – so there were plenty of Americans in the village.
The story goes like this: As I was walking back after my magnet purchase an American lady emerged from a shop saying 'I don't get all this about there being no Kangaroos in Austria!" to which her friend replied 'Because we are in Austria and not Australia!!!' Boom Boom!!
This reminded me of a similar incident back in the 80s when a Durham Cathedral Guide was pointing out some particularly beautiful wooden carving to be asked by one of his American guests "Is that wood original?" to which the Guide responded "Madam, all wood is original"!
A little amusement for a wet afternoon – well it is here!!
